Beauty Revealed
Sarah Goodridge, 1828
About this artwork
In the intimate realm of 19th-century American miniature portraiture, Sarah Goodridge *Beauty Revealed* (1828) stands as a daring self-portrait. This tiny watercolor on ivory, measuring just 2 5/8 x 3 1/8 inches, captures the artist baring her breasts against a dark velvet-like background, emerging as a bold act of personal revelation. Goodridge, a skilled miniaturist working in Boston, crafted this piece at a time when female nudes were exceedingly rare in American art, making it one of the earliest known examples by a woman. The medium of watercolor on ivory was ideal for such delicate, luminous works, often worn as jewelry or kept in private cases. Ivory's smooth, translucent surface allowed Goodridge to achieve exquisite detail and a lifelike glow, techniques honed in the Federal-era tradition of portrait miniatures. Displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, it highlights her technical mastery and the era's blend of refinement with emerging individualism. Culturally, *Beauty Revealed* challenges Victorian-era modesty, inviting viewers into a private, sensual dialogue. Gifted in 2006, it underscores women's quiet innovations in art history, reminding us how intimate scales could convey profound statements about identity and the female form.